High Osmotic Strength Research Articles

Capillary-osmotic wearable patch based on lateral flow assay for sweat potassium analysis

This paper reports a simple, disposable, and wearable patch inspired by lateral flow assay (LFA) that can continuously and non-invasively sample sweat for colorimetric sensing of potassium (K+). K+ is an important biomarker for healthy cardiovascular and neuromuscular functions of the body. Current techniques for K+ sensing in sweat commonly use ion-selective electrodes that require complex fabrication steps, signal drift issues, and active perspiration for continuous operation. Here, the sensor uses passive osmotic-capillary principles to collect sweat from the skin without the need of external power for sampling. A skin-mounted hydrogel patch equilibrated with glucose and glycerin solutions can extract fluid from the skin at rest because of the high osmotic strength of the hydrogel compared to sweat. The gel delivers fluid to a commercial colorimetric assay via a paper strip. The assay contains the reagent dipicrylamine which is selective to K+. On-body human trials prove that these patches function with low sweat volumes (∼2–3 µL) and measure K+ concentration in sweat extracted both during exercise and rest. The sweat potassium concentration is independent of the sweat rate and its magnitude matches that of blood. Such economical patches could open opportunities for at-home or in-field point-of-care (POC) diagnostics.

Stability of Highly Soluble Ferrocyanides at Neutral pH for Energy Dense Flow Batteries

Ferro- and ferricyanides are among the most employed positive electrolyte materials in aqueous flow battery research but the limited solubility of commonly available sodium and potassium salts is a critical factor limiting application at scale. We systematically study the cation dependent solubility of these materials and, importantly, the cation dependent stability of the anion in aqueous solution. For Li4Fe(CN)6 we report a maximum solubility of 2.3 M and show stable cycling of a 2 M symmetric cell (54 Ah L−1) over 200 days, and also demonstrate solubilities of 1.6 M for ammonium and calcium salts. Importantly, we observe cation dependent electrolyte stability in long-term experiments and investigate the pronounced anion decomposition observed in presence of ammonium cations.[1] While achieving high solubilities leads to increased energy densities, concentrated electrolytes present many challenges such as high osmotic strength and high viscosity. This is particularly pronounced in electrolytes that employ ions with high charge states such as ferrocyanide. Furthermore, the selected cation needs to be compatible with the membrane in the cell.[2] We thus outline several often neglected design aspects that must be considered when developing new active materials for aqueous flow batteries. [1] Reber, D., Thurston, J.R., Becker, M., Marshak, M.P., Stability of highly soluble ferrocyanides at neutral pH for energy dense flow batteries, Cell. Rep. Phys. Sci. 2022, 4, 101215 [2] Waters, S.E., Thurston, J.R., Armstrong, R.W., Robb, B.H., Marshak, M.P., Reber, D., Holistic design principles for flow batteries: Cation dependent membrane resistance and active species solubility J. Power Sources 2022, 520, 230877

Signal Decoding for Glutamate Modulating Egg Laying Oppositely in Caenorhabditis elegans under Varied Environmental Conditions.

SummaryAnimals' ability to sense environmental cues and to integrate this information to control fecundity is vital for continuing the species lineage. In this study, we observed that the sensory neurons Amphid neuron (ASHs and ADLs) differentially regulate egg-laying behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans under varied environmental conditions via distinct neuronal circuits. Under standard culture conditions, ASHs tonically release a small amount of glutamate and inhibit Hermaphrodite specific motor neuron (HSN) activities and egg laying via a highly sensitive Glutamate receptor (GLR)-5 receptor. In contrast, under Cu2+ stimulation, ASHs and ADLs may release a large amount of glutamate and inhibit Amphid interneuron (AIA) interneurons via low-sensitivity Glutamate-gated chloride channel (GLC)-3 receptor, thus removing the inhibitory roles of AIAs on HSN activity and egg laying. However, directly measuring the amount of glutamate released by sensory neurons under different conditions and assaying the binding kinetics of receptors with the neurotransmitter are still required to support this study directly.

Gold sorption from cyanide media by ANS-3 anionite

Research results were presented for gold sorption from cyanide solutions by ANS-3 macroporous anionite based on styrene-divinyl benzene copolymer. Equilibrium data on gold sorption from a model cyanide solution agreed with the modified Langmuir-Freundlich equation within the studied gold concentrations. Gold stripping results with alkaline cyanide solution were given. Optimal structure of polymer matrix provides high mechanical and osmotic strength of ANS-3 anionite. The anionite is not subjected to an osmotic shock in alkaline solution allowing its application in hydrometallurgical processes including sorption from pulps.

Effect of Osmotic Pressure on the Stability of Whole Inactivated Influenza Vaccine for Coating on Microneedles.

Enveloped virus vaccines can be damaged by high osmotic strength solutions, such as those used to protect the vaccine antigen during drying, which contain high concentrations of sugars. We therefore studied shrinkage and activity loss of whole inactivated influenza virus in hyperosmotic solutions and used those findings to improve vaccine coating of microneedle patches for influenza vaccination. Using stopped-flow light scattering analysis, we found that the virus underwent an initial shrinkage on the order of 10% by volume within 5 s upon exposure to a hyperosmotic stress difference of 217 milliosmolarity. During this shrinkage, the virus envelope had very low osmotic water permeability (1 – 6×10−4 cm s–1) and high Arrhenius activation energy (E a = 15.0 kcal mol–1), indicating that the water molecules diffused through the viral lipid membranes. After a quasi-stable state of approximately 20 s to 2 min, depending on the species and hypertonic osmotic strength difference of disaccharides, there was a second phase of viral shrinkage. At the highest osmotic strengths, this led to an undulating light scattering profile that appeared to be related to perturbation of the viral envelope resulting in loss of virus activity, as determined by in vitro hemagglutination measurements and in vivo immunogenicity studies in mice. Addition of carboxymethyl cellulose effectively prevented vaccine activity loss in vitro and in vivo, believed to be due to increasing the viscosity of concentrated sugar solution and thereby reducing osmotic stress during coating of microneedles. These results suggest that hyperosmotic solutions can cause biphasic shrinkage of whole inactivated influenza virus which can damage vaccine activity at high osmotic strength and that addition of a viscosity enhancer to the vaccine coating solution can prevent osmotically driven damage and thereby enable preparation of stable microneedle coating formulations for vaccination.

Adaptive evolution of the lager brewing yeastSaccharomyces pastorianusfor improved growth under hyperosmotic conditions and its influence on fermentation performance

An adaptive evolution method to obtain stable Saccharomyces pastorianus brewing yeast variants with improved fermentation capacity is described. The procedure involved selection for rapid growth resumption at high osmotic strength. It was applied to a lager strain and to a previously isolated ethanol-tolerant strain. Fermentation performance of strains was compared at 15°P wort strength. A selected osmotolerant variant of the ethanol-tolerant strain showed significantly shorter fermentation time than the parent strain, producing 6.45% alcohol by volume beer in 4-5days with mostly similar organoleptic properties to the original strain. Diacetyl and pentanedione contents were 50-75% and 3-methylbutyl acetate and 2-phenylethyl acetate 50% higher than with the original strain, leading to a small flavour change. The variant contained significantly less intracellular trehalose and glycogen than the parent. Transcriptional analysis of selected genes at 24h revealed reduced transcription of hexose transport genes and increased transcription of the MALx1 and MALx2genes, responsible for α-glucoside uptake and metabolism. It is suggested that an attenuated stress response contributes to the improved fermentation performance. Results show that sequential selection for both ethanol tolerance and rapid growth at high osmotic strength can provide strains with enhanced fermentation speed with acceptable product quality.

The Essential yhcSR Two-Component Signal Transduction System Directly Regulates the lac and opuCABCD Operons of Staphylococcus aureus

Our previous studies suggested that the essential two-component signal transduction system, YhcSR, regulates the opuCABCD operon at the transcriptional level, and the Pspac-driven opuCABCD partially complements the lethal effects of yhcS antisense RNA expression in Staphylococcus aureus. However, the reason why yhcSR regulon is required for growth is still unclear. In this report, we present that the lac and opuC operons are directly transcriptionally regulated by YhcSR. Using real-time RT-PCR we showed that the down-regulation of yhcSR expression affected the transcription of lacA encoding galactose-6-phosphotase isomerase subunit LacA, and opuCA encoding a subunit of a glycine betaine/carnitine/choline ABC transporter. Promoter-lux reporter fusion studies further confirmed the transcriptional regulation of lac by YhcSR. Gel shift assays revealed that YhcR binds to the promoter regions of the lac and opuC operons. Moreover, the Pspac-driven lacABC expression in trans was able to partially complement the lethal effect of induced yhcS antisense RNA. Likewise, the Pspac-driven opuCABCD expression in trans complemented the growth defect of S. aureus in a high osmotic strength medium during the depletion of YhcSR. Taken together, the above data indicate that the yhcSR system directly regulates the expression of lac and opuC operons, which, in turn, may be partially associated with the essentiality of yhcSR in S. aureus. These results provide a new insight into the biological functions of the yhcSR, a global regulator.

Advances in Aqueous Extraction Processing of Soybeans

AbstractAqueous extraction processing technologies, having advanced in recent years, may be a viable alternative to hexane extraction to separate oil and protein from soybeans. Different extraction strategies incorporating various modes of comminution, extraction buffers, and enzymes allow production of a range of oil and protein products, but also create different processing challenges. Processes capable of achieving high free oil yields often result in a soluble protein fraction difficult to isolate and dilute oil emulsions difficult to break. Other processes can achieve high yields and purities of native soy protein, but with reduced free oil yield or require a high osmotic and ionic strength extraction buffer. This review article discusses these various advanced processes and their relative advantages and disadvantages. In addition, the current understanding of the underlying fundamental concepts of aqueous extraction is discussed in order to help direct future investigations to improve these technologies.

Osmotic Avoidance in <em>Caenorhabditis elegans</em>: Synaptic Function of Two Genes, Orthologues of Human <em>NRXN1</em> and <em>NLGN1</em>, as Candidates for Autism

Neurexins and neuroligins are cell adhesion molecules present in excitatory and inhibitory synapses, and they are required for correct neuron network function. These proteins are found at the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes. Studies in mice indicate that neurexins and neurologins have an essential role in synaptic transmission. Recent reports have shown that altered neuronal connections during the development of the human nervous system could constitute the basis of the etiology of numerous cases of autism spectrum disorders. Caenorhabditis elegans could be used as an experimental tool to facilitate the study of the functioning of synaptic components, because of its simplicity for laboratory experimentation, and given that its nervous system and synaptic wiring has been fully characterized. In C. elegans nrx-1 and nlg-1 genes are orthologous to human NRXN1 and NLGN1 genes which encode alpha-neurexin-1 and neuroligin-1 proteins, respectively. In humans and nematodes, the organization of neurexins and neuroligins is similar in respect to functional domains. The head of the nematode contains the amphid, a sensory organ of the nematode, which mediates responses to different stimuli, including osmotic strength. The amphid is made of 12 sensory bipolar neurons with ciliated dendrites and one presynaptic terminal axon. Two of these neurons, named ASHR and ASHL are particularly important in osmotic sensory function, detecting water-soluble repellents with high osmotic strength. The dendrites of these two neurons lengthen to the tip of the mouth and the axons extend to the nerve ring, where they make synaptic connections with other neurons determining the behavioral response. To evaluate the implications of neurexin and neuroligin in high osmotic strength avoidance, we show the different response of C. elegans mutants defective in nrx-1 and nlg-1 genes, using a method based on a 4M fructose ring. The behavioral phenotypes were confirmed using specific RNAi clones. In C. elegans, the dsRNA required to trigger RNAi can be administered by feeding. The delivery of dsRNA through food induces the RNAi interference of the gene of interest thus allowing the identification of genetic components and network pathways.

Trapping the nematode on a micro chip for the future of science

At the basis of neuroscience is the correlation between behavior and neural signals. This relationship is studied using a variety of techniques, including fluorescent intensity measurements of genetically encoded calcium indicators. The simple structure and conservation of some basic developmental pathways between vertebrates and Caenorhabditis elegans makes it an ideal model for studies employing this technique, but it has been difficult to apply neural stimuli in a controlled way to such a small organism. New microfabrication techniques allow the creation of "worm traps" via a combination of lithography and microfluidic regulation. These micro-scale devices have made possible the immobilization of nematodes in the absence of glue (which could affect the worms' neural activity), in addition to offering more control over the application and removal of stimuli than was possible in previous experimental setups. Chronis et al. link an increase in AVA (a type of motor neurons formed by bilaterally symmetric interneuron pairs) neural activity to the initiation of anterior-traveling body waves, and observed an increase in ASH (a type of sensory neurons responsible for a wide range of avoidance behaviors in response to chemical and physical stimulations) neural activity in response to stimulation by high osmotic strength solutions. The microfabrication developments described can be combined with recent advances in the biological sciences, in particular the developmental embryology, to yield solutions to important problems, such as the detection of low concentration substrates and the analysis of homeostasis and embryonic development.

Interrelations between Glycine Betaine Catabolism and Methionine Biosynthesis in Sinorhizobium meliloti Strain 102F34

Methionine is produced by methylation of homocysteine. Sinorhizobium meliloti 102F34 possesses only one methionine synthase, which catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from methyl tetrahydrofolate to homocysteine. This vitamin B(12)-dependent enzyme is encoded by the metH gene. Glycine betaine can also serve as an alternative methyl donor for homocysteine. This reaction is catalyzed by betaine-homocysteine methyl transferase (BHMT), an enzyme that has been characterized in humans and rats. An S. meliloti gene whose product is related to the human BHMT enzyme has been identified and named bmt. This enzyme is closely related to mammalian BHMTs but has no homology with previously described bacterial betaine methyl transferases. Glycine betaine inhibits the growth of an S. meliloti bmt mutant in low- and high-osmotic strength media, an effect that correlates with a decrease in the catabolism of glycine betaine. This inhibition was not observed with other betaines, like homobetaine, dimethylsulfoniopropionate, and trigonelline. The addition of methionine to the growth medium allowed a bmt mutant to recover growth despite the presence of glycine betaine. Methionine also stimulated glycine betaine catabolism in a bmt strain, suggesting the existence of another catabolic pathway. Inactivation of metH or bmt did not affect the nodulation efficiency of the mutants in the 102F34 strain background. Nevertheless, a metH strain was severely defective in competing with the wild-type strain in a coinoculation experiment.

Levels of Glycine Betaine in Growing Cells and Spores of Bacillus Species and Lack of Effect of Glycine Betaine on Dormant Spore Resistance

Bacteria of various Bacillus species are able to grow in media with very high osmotic strength in part due to the accumulation of low-molecular-weight osmolytes such as glycine betaine (GB). Cells of Bacillus species grown in rich and minimal media contained low levels of GB, but GB levels were 4- to 60-fold higher in cells grown in media with high salt. GB levels in Bacillus subtilis cells grown in minimal medium were increased approximately 7-fold by GB in the medium and 60-fold by GB plus high salt. GB was present in spores of Bacillus species prepared in media with or without high salt but at lower levels than in comparable growing cells. With spores prepared in media with high salt, GB levels were highest in B. subtilis spores and > or =20-fold lower in B. cereus and B. megaterium spores. Although GB levels in B. subtilis spores were elevated 15- to 30-fold by GB plus high salt in sporulation media, GB levels did not affect spore resistance. GB levels were similar in wild-type B. subtilis spores and spores that lacked major small, acid-soluble spore proteins but were much lower in spores that lacked dipicolinic acid.

Involvement of phycobilisome diffusion in energy quenching in cyanobacteria.

Nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) of excitation energy is a well-established phenomenon in green plants, where it serves to protect the photosynthetic apparatus from photodamage under excess illumination. The induction of NPQ involves a change in the function of the light-harvesting apparatus, with the formation of quenching centers that convert excitation energy into heat. Recently, a comparable phenomenon was demonstrated in cyanobacteria grown under iron-starvation. Under these conditions, an additional integral membrane chlorophyll-protein, IsiA, is synthesized, and it is therefore likely that IsiA is required for NPQ in cyanobacteria. We have previously used fluorescence recovery after photobleaching to show that phycobilisomes diffuse rapidly on the membrane surface, but are immobilized when cells are immersed in high-osmotic strength buffers, apparently because the interaction between phycobilisomes and reaction centers is stabilized. Here, we show that when cells of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 subjected to prolonged iron-deprivation are immersed in 1 m phosphate buffer, NPQ can still be induced as normal by high light. However, the formation of the quenched state is irreversible under these conditions, suggesting that it involves the coupling of free phycobilisomes to an integral-membrane complex, an interaction that is stabilized by 1 m phosphate. Fluorescence spectra are consistent with this idea. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching measurements confirm that the induction of NPQ in the presence of 1 m phosphate is accompanied by immobilization of the phycobilisomes. We propose as a working hypothesis that a major component of the fluorescence quenching observed in iron-starved cyanobacteria arises from the coupling of free phycobilisomes to IsiA.

Developing embryos of Sesbania sesban have unique potential to photosynthesize under high osmotic environment

This study has been carried out to investigate the photosynthetic activities in developing embryos of Sesbania sesban under a highly osmotic environment. In S. sesban, the embryo turns green/chlorophyllous at the early heart shape stage. Interestingly, despite being deeply embedded within the supporting tissues (several layers of pod wall, seed coat and endosperm) and developing in a highly osmotic environment, the growing embryo of the developing seed showed the presence of various components of photosynthetic machinery besides being chlorophyllous. The shade-adaptive nature of the photosynthetic machinery of the embryo is evident from (a) low chlorophyll a/b ratio, (b) photosystem (PS) II attaining maximal activity at low photon flux density and (c) lesser plastoquinone pool. The photosynthetic potential of the growing embryo seems to contribute towards seed filling as it has the potential not only to harvest light energy but also to fix CO2 as efficiently as other photosynthetic parts of S. sesban. In fact, ribulose-1,5 bisphosphate carboxylase purified from embryos manifested subunit composition similar to that of leaves. The PS II activity in leaves, cotyledonary leaves and pod wall declined sharply with increase in the level of NaCl and sucrose above 150 and 300mmol, respectively. Amazingly, PS II activity in developing embryos was maximal in the presence of 250mmol NaCl or 500mmol sucrose and remained high even when NaCl and sucrose levels were increased to 500 and 1000mmol, respectively. We hypothesize that the developing embryos have some factor(s) which protect(s) the photosynthetic machinery in an environment of high osmotic strength.

Phycobilisome diffusion is required for light-state transitions in cyanobacteria.

Phycobilisomes are the major accessory light-harvesting complexes of cyanobacteria and red algae. Studies using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching on cyanobacteria in vivo have shown that the phycobilisomes are mobile complexes that rapidly diffuse on the thylakoid membrane surface. By contrast, the PSII core complexes are completely immobile. This indicates that the association of phycobilisomes with reaction centers must be transient and unstable. Here, we show that when cells of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC7942 are immersed in buffers of high osmotic strength, the diffusion coefficient for the phycobilisomes is greatly decreased. This suggests that the interaction between phycobilisomes and reaction centers becomes much less transient under these conditions. We discuss the possible reasons for this. State transitions are a rapid physiological adaptation mechanism that regulates the way in which absorbed light energy is distributed between PSI and PSII. Immersing cells in high osmotic strength buffers inhibits state transitions by locking cells into whichever state they were in prior to addition of the buffer. The effect on state transitions is induced at the same buffer concentrations as the effect on phycobilisome diffusion. This implies that phycobilisome diffusion is required for state transitions. The main physiological role for phycobilisome mobility may be to allow such flexibility in light harvesting.

Hypertonic signal promotes stability of Dictyostelium spores via a PKA-independent pathway

Differentiation of Dictyostelium spores initiates with rapid encapsulation of prespore cells under the control of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), followed by further maturation processes involving cytoskeletal reorganization. Constitutive activation of PKA induces precocious formation of viable spores in development and confers the ability to encapsulate under specific submerged conditions. In this study, we show that the stability of these spores depends upon conditions of high osmotic strength during spore differentiation, indicating that a hypertonic signal is required in addition to PKA to induce maturation to stable spores. The formation of stable spores under hypertonic conditions requires high cell density, suggesting the involvement of additional cellular signaling.

Studies on the mechanism of the osmoresistance of spores of Bacillus subtilis.

To determine the reason that spores of Bacillus species, in particular Bacillus subtilis, are able to form colonies with high efficiency on media with very high salt concentrations. Spores of various Bacillus species have a significantly higher plating efficiency on media with high salt concentration (termed osmoresistance) than do log or stationary phase cells. This spore osmoresistance is higher on richer media. Bacillus subtilis spores lacking various small, acid-soluble spore proteins (SASP) were generally significantly less osmoresistant than were wild-type spores, as shown previously (Ruzal et al. 1994). Other results included: (a) spore osmoresistance varied significantly between species; (b) the osmoresistance of spores lacking SASP was not restored well by amino acid osmolytes added to plating media, but was completely restored by glucose; (c) the osmoresistance of spores lacking SASP was restored upon brief germination in the absence of salt in a process that did not require protein synthesis; (d) significant amounts of amino acids generated by SASP degradation were retained within spores upon germination in a medium with high but not low salt; (e) slowing but not abolishing SASP degradation by loss of the SASP-specific germination protease (GPR) did not affect spore osmoresistance; (f) sporulation at higher temperatures produced less osmoresistant spores; and (g) spore osmoresistance was not decreased markedly by the absence of the stress sigma factor for RNA polymerase, sigmaB. Spore osmoresistance appears as a result of three major factors: (1) specific characteristics of spores and cells of individual species; (2) the precise sporulation conditions that produce the spores; and (3) sufficient energy generation by the germinating and outgrowing spore to allow the spore to adapt to conditions of high osmotic strength; the substrates for this energy generation can come from either the endogenous generation of amino acids by SASP degradation or from the spore's environment, in the form of a readily taken up and metabolized energy source such as glucose. SIGNFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY: These results provide information on the mechanisms of spore osmoresistance, a spore property that can be of major applied significance given the use of high osmotic strength with or without high salt as a means of food preservation.

Role of trehalose biosynthesis in environmental survival and virulence of Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium

The otsA and otsB genes, encoding trehalose-6-phosphate synthase and trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase respectively, have been isolated from Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium and nucleotide-sequenced. Induction of trehalose biosynthesis by exposure of bacteria to high osmotic strength resulted in the intracellular accumulation of trehalose. An otsA mutant of S. enterica serovar typhimurium was more susceptible to killing by heat, and grew poorly under conditions of high osmolarity. The wild-type and otsA mutant strains showed similar abilities to colonise spleen tissues after oral dosing of mice. These findings suggest that the otsBA gene products play a role in environmental survival, but not in virulence, of S. enterica serovar typhimurium.

Winemaking of musts at high osmotic strength by thermotolerant yeasts

Fermentation performance of 15 thermotolerant Saccharomyces cerevisiae in three musts from dried grapes at 25, 30, and 40° brix was studied. When the osmotic strength was increased, the volatile acidity and the SO2 production in the wines also increased: in the must with 40° brix, yeasts produce from 1.63 to 3.65 g acetic acid l−1 and from 40 to 73.6 mg SO2 l−1 due to osmotic stress. From 9.75 to 13.40 ethanol v/v production is observed in must at 30° brix, whereas at 40° brix there is a clear detrimental effect.

Identification of the gene encoding the alternative sigma factor sigmaB from Listeria monocytogenes and its role in osmotolerance.

Listeria monocytogenes is well known for its robust physiology, which permits growth at low temperatures under conditions of high osmolarity and low pH. Although studies have provided insight into the mechanisms used by L. monocytogenes to allay the physiological consequences of these adverse environments, little is known about how these responses are coordinated. In the studies presented here, we have cloned the sigB gene and several rsb genes from L. monocytogenes, encoding homologs of the alternative sigma factor sigmaB and the RsbUVWX proteins, which govern transcription of a general stress regulon in the related bacterium Bacillus subtilis. The L. monocytogenes and B. subtilis sigB and rsb genes are similar in sequence and physical organization; however, we observed that the activity of sigmaB in L. monocytogenes was uniquely responsive to osmotic upshifting, temperature downshifting, and the presence of EDTA in the growth medium. The magnitude of the response was greatest after an osmotic upshift, suggesting a role for sigmaB in coordinating osmotic responses in L. monocytogenes. A null mutation in the sigB gene led to substantial defects in the ability of L. monocytogenes to use betaine and carnitine as osmoprotectants. Subsequent measurements of betaine transport confirmed that the absence of sigmaB reduced the ability of the cells to accumulate betaine. Thus, sigmaB coordinates responses to a variety of physical and chemical signals, and its function facilitates the growth of L. monocytogenes under conditions of high osmotic strength.